Mississippi Trapper Mauled By 12-Foot Alligator

A licensed Mississippi alligator trapper is recovering from surgery after he was mauled by a 12-foot alligator in Hancock County.

Author:
The Clarion-Ledger , WFMY

Published:
8:57 PM EDT July 11, 2017

Updated:
9:05 PM EDT July 11, 2017

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. -- A licensed Mississippi alligator trapper is recovering from surgery after he was mauled by a 12-foot alligator in Hancock County.

A vehicle had struck and injured the alligator on Mississippi 603 on June 25, according to Ricky Flynt, Alligator Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. Local law enforcement officers were called to the scene.

Breland arrived at the scene to secure and remove the injured animal, but things went wrong.

"When he was attempting to secure the alligator, his foot slipped," Flynt said. "He landed right next to the alligator's head."

Already in a defensive mode from his injuries, the gator grabbed Breland by the shoulder and chest and began shaking Breland violently from side to side. The alligator eventually released Breland, and he was able to roll away from the reptile.

"He sustained some serious injuries to his chest, shoulder and right arm," Flynt said. "He had significant trauma to the pectoral part of his chest and the inside portion of his right arm.

"Fortunately, he had no broken bones. Had the alligator rolled with him, it would have been much worse."

Flynt said Breland was treated and later released, but underwent surgery recently to remove some tissue. Flynt said after receiving a report on the incident, his thoughts immediately went to a bacteria called aeromonas hydrophila.

"That was my first concern when I heard about it and talked to Craig," Flynt said. "There have been several people, for instance, in Florida where the person attacked died from bacteria even though they had insignificant trauma.

"That is a bacteria associated with many animals that live in wetland environments."

Not only is the bacteria deadly, it only responds to specific antibiotics and even when the correct antibiotics are administered, the threat is still there.